PHOENIX – Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer Thursday in his first at-bat for the Milwaukee Brewers since completing a season-ending, 65-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s anti-drug agreement.

In the first inning of Milwaukee’s spring opener against Oakland, Braun hit an 0-1 pitch off Tommy Milone high over the wall near the left field corner, 345 feet away. The 2011 NL MVP got a hearty round of cheers, the loudest coming from fans in the dozen rows or so behind the Brewers bench.

Just before the homer, one fan wearing an A’s hat yelled “MVP-E-D.”

It was Braun’s first game in the Brewers’ lineup since July 21, 2013. The five-time All-Star accepted a 65-game penalty the next day for his involvement with Florida clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

Jeter goes hitless

in exhibition

TAMPA, Fla. – Derek Jeter got a partial standing ovation Thursday before going hitless in two at-bats in the first spring training game of his final season, a Yankees’ 8-2 loss to the Pirates.

The Yankees captain, who turns 40 in June, hit a double-play grounder to second off Pittsburgh right-hander Charlie Morton in the first and grounded out to third during the fourth against left-hander Jeff Locke.

Limited to 17 games last season due to leg injuries, Jeter was at shortstop in his first exhibition season appearance. He broke his left ankle in the 2012 AL championship series and did not appear at shortstop last spring training until March 13.

Jeter had just 11 at-bats in five games during spring training last year, stayed behind for rehabilitation at New York’s minor league complex and broke the ankle again. He returned to the Yankees on July 11 but wound up on the disabled list three more times.

Niese MRI shows

no major issues

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – The New York Mets said an MRI on pitcher Jon Niese’s ailing left shoulder did not show any major problems.

Projected to be the Mets’ opening-day starter, Niese had been scratched from his opening exhibition start, against Houston next Tuesday and replaced by Zack Wheeler. Mets manager Terry Collins said the club will have Niese back on the mound, “as soon as we can.”

“There’s no shoulder problems at all,” Collins said Thursday. “He’s got some weakness in his scap [scapula] area that is minor. They think in a few days he’ll be back and ready to go. It was very, very good news.”

Greinke leaves start with calf injury

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke left his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday after throwing just four pitches because of a mild right calf strain.

“I think it’s minor, but we’ll see,” Greinke said. “I don’t know exactly what it was, but it felt kind of like a cramp.”

Grienke was making his first spring start after saying he had “zero interest” making the trip for the Dodgers’ two regular-season games in Sydney, Australia, March 22-23 against Arizona. But now Geinke says he’d like to start a game Sydney Cricket Ground.

“If we’re going to be there, which obviously we are, then, yes, I’d like to pitch over there,” he said. “I’m looking forward to flying over there.”

His initial comments, he said, were based on concerns that the trip would alter his spring training.